Ethical Treatment

Lew Freedman's paltry defense of fishing disintegrated into venting insults at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Fishing and hunting are not sports because fish, birds and mammals do not consent to participate in an activity that causes their death.

A day after animal rights activists protested Groupon's relationship with circus and zoo companies they say have records of animal abuse, Groupon officials are saying they will not give in to political pressures when deciding what deals to run. “Groupon has evolved into a marketplace that's driven by the preferences of our customers,” spokesman Bill Roberts said. “We want to have an enormous marketplace with hundreds of thousands of deals and customers can pick and choose what suits them...

Rocky Aoki, founder of Benihaha restaurants, offered to donate a Rolls-Royce to Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger for an auction for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, but they turned it down because the upholstery was leather. They turned it down again after he offered to pay to have the seats reupholstered, the New York Post said.

By Jennifer Dobner SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - The Utah Department of Transportation has denied a petition to erect a roadside memorial at the site where hundreds of turkeys were killed last month in a tractor-trailer accident, but animal rights activists on Monday appealed that decision. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, has requested a permit for a sign marking the spot near the rural town of Wallsburg where a truck hauling more than 700 live...

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston on Tuesday demanded the removal of an animal rights group's billboard depicting the Virgin Mary cradling a lifeless chicken in her arms. The ad by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals features the tagline "Go Vegetarian-- It's an Immaculate Conception," a reference to teachings about Mary's purity. ---------- Compiled from RedEye news services and edited by Lara Weber (lweber@tribune.com) and Victoria Rodriguez (vrodriguez@tribune.

July 16 (Reuters) - The home of the Philadelphia Phillies, where hungry baseball fans in a town known for cheese steaks and hoagies can instead chow down on faux-chicken sandwiches, was ranked as America's most vegetarian friendly ballpark on Monday by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Coming in second on PETA's annual list, behind Citizens Bank Park, was Safeco Field in Seattle, which features vegan specialties such as the IchiBan veggie...

The animal rights group PETA has tried to run a newspaper ad comparing the beheading of a bus passenger in Canada last week to animal treatment by the meat industry. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it wanted to run the ad in Manitoba's Portage la Prairie Daily Graphic. However, city editor Tara Seel said Thursday that the newspaper had no intention of running the ad. ---------- Page compiled from Tribune news services

KANYE WEST has upset animal rights activists at PETA once again by taunting them in his new song THERAFLU. The rapper previously fell out with executives at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals after they criticised him for stepping out in a fur coat and he hit back, calling his detractors "just plain idiots". He has now incurred the wrath of PETA chiefs once again by baiting them in his new song, rapping, "Someone tell PETA my mink (coat) is draggin' on the floor. " PETA Senior Vice...

Police arrested six shivering protesters Monday who staged a nearly naked pillow fight outside Harvard University to promote animal rights. The five women and one man, members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, were arrested on criminal misdemeanor charges, police said. ---------- Compiled from RedEye news services and edited by Patrick Olsen (polsen@tribune.com) and Joe Knowles (jknowles@tribune.com)

The folks at PETA are now baring their sweet tooths by sponsoring a contest to find the best vegan frozen dessert in the country. The Chicago Diner is among the six contest finalists, according to a press release from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). The diner is lauded for its cookie dough and peanut butter shake made with Chicago Soydairy’s Temptation vegan soft-serve . Other finalists are Green New American Vegetarian in Tempe, Ariz.; ...

Two animal welfare groups are eyeing Leona Helmsley's estimated $8 billion estate following a report that she wanted her fortune to go to the care of dogs. The Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said they will apply for a share if the report is true. ---------- Page compiled from Tribune news services

Carol M. Kazanjian, age 67, of Evanston, beloved wife of John Kazanjian and also a loving aunt of nieces and nephews. Services and interment private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to PETA, please address your envelope to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510. Info: 847-675-1990 or www.donnellanfuneral.com Sign Guestbook at chicagotribune.com/obituaries . This is a paid death notice.

Carol M. Kazanjian, age 67, of Evanston, beloved wife of John Kazanjian and also a loving aunt of nieces and nephews. Services and interment private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to PETA, please address your envelope to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510. Info: 847-675-1990 or www.donnellanfuneral.com Sign Guestbook at chicagotribune.com/obituaries . This is a paid death notice.

Nine years after calling a truce with McDonald's, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it is going on a new offensive against the Oak Brook-based fast-food giant, this time over the most humane way to kill a chicken. Should chickens be knocked unconscious with a jolt of electricity and then have their throats cut, the conventional method of slaughter in this country? Or should they be gassed, a practice used to some extent in Europe? PETA, known for its in-your-face protest...

A woman, wearing little more than body paint as part of an animal rights demonstration, was arrested Wednesday in the Daley Center Plaza for public indecency, police said. Kristie Sigmon, 22, of Norfolk, Va., was arrested around noon, said police spokesman Robert Cargie. Sigmon, who was wearing panties, pasties and body paint to resemble a tiger, said she planned to climb into a nearby cage to protest the treatment of animals by the circus, which plays the Chicago area...

Samantha Ronson is defending girlfriend Lindsay Lohan's honor after LiLo was pelted with a flour bomb for wearing what appeared to be fur. "The girl who threw [the flour] acted like an animal herself," Ronson wrote on her MySpace blog. "I take that back, it's an insult to animals to group her in with them, my dog is FAR more civilized than that person." She adds: "I think there are plenty of families that could have used that flour for a meal. Nice job, lady." Biscuits, anyone?

An animal rights group is calling for China to treat rats with kindness and respect, as millions across the nation begin to celebrate the coming Year of the Rat. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it has asked the Chinese government to consider animal welfare laws for rats used in laboratory experiments. "Rats sing, they dream, and they express empathy for others," Coco Yu of PETA's Asia-Pacific branch said in a statement.

The animal rights group PETA has tried to run a newspaper ad comparing the beheading of a bus passenger in Canada last week to animal treatment by the meat industry. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it wanted to run the ad in Manitoba's Portage la Prairie Daily Graphic. However, city editor Tara Seel said Thursday that the newspaper had no intention of running the ad. ---------- Page compiled from Tribune news services

It looks like the NFL will have a television camera on the field--affixed to the cap of one of the officials. The camera, called "UmpireCam," was used by Fox in its coverage of NFL Europe's World Bowl on Sunday. - An animal-rights group wants a new name for the Green Bay Packers. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said in a letter to team President Bob Harlan that the name promotes violence and bloodshed because it refers to meat packers, or those who work in slaughterhouses.

Two animal welfare groups are eyeing Leona Helmsley's estimated $8 billion estate following a report that she wanted her fortune to go to the care of dogs. The Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said they will apply for a share if the report is true. ---------- Page compiled from Tribune news services